with win xp pro if you forget your password at the login how can you bypass so you dont have to format the hard drive, i have tryed to start up in safe mode but that dont work .. there is nothing wrong with the os, i have just forgotten my password and it just seems a shame to have to start again
if anyone could help that would be great......

Microsoft provides a way for you to gain access to your computer without the password if you have the Windows CD and serial number to hand. You need to use the Repair facility. The downside is that using this facility will replace system files on your computer with the files on the CD. This means that if the CD is old then you will need to update your OS after the repair. Of course you would have to do this after a reformat anyway, but the repair should not affect any of your installed programs or your settings. Another method that works is to use a specially prepared toolbox boot disk with NTFS drivers and software that can read the Windows registry. There are several such boot discs available, such as HakwPE or Hiren. These boot discs contain dozens of tools for repairing and configuring Windows; among them will be at least one password recovery tool. I know from experience that these methods work. Alternatively, you could try one of the specific password recovery tools freely available on the Internet, but I have no experience on which to judge their effectiveness.

If you decide on the Repair route, your best option is to use a CD with SP3 integrated (slipstreamed) if you are able to borrow or create one. This will save all the updating afterwards. If you are unsure about carrying out a repair, read this page for full details. You need to be alert for the correct moment to interrupt the installation of files during the repair operation.

After the computer reboots automatically (which happens after files have been copied), watch the screen carefully. "Installing Windows" will start. Soon the progress bar for Installing Devices will appear. When you see this progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. A command console will open. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press the Enter key. This will give you access to User Accounts. Change the password to something you will remember, or make it blank. Then close the window and exit the command console. It is important that you now continue with the repair, else the new password will not be set.

The easiest way I found to get a lost password back was to use Hiren's Boot CD http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd . Infact I have used it around 3 times the past couple of months, once on a rack server with RAID controllers.

After bootup it will show you a screen where you can choose System Recover, and then either the Active Password recovery or the Offline Password Recovery. It will read and display all user accounts and upon selecting one it will reset its password to blank.

Restart and when Windows Login screen comes up asking for a password just press enter, you are back in Windows.

I think the best method is using windows password recovery software. Burn the .iso file to a blank CD or a USB flash drive or a floppy disk, insert the CD(USB/floppy disk) into the problem computer and your password will be reset to "Blank" without losing any data and you needn't reinstall windows OS.

with win xp pro if you forget your password at the login how can you bypass so you dont have to format the hard drive, i have tryed to start up in safe mode but that dont work .. there is nothing wrong with the os, i have just forgotten my password and it just seems a shame to have to start again if anyone could help that would be great......

I also experienced the same problem a few days ago. I reset Windows password by using password recovery bundle, I have spent a whole day to search a workable software.